Reds' plan for Hunter Greene may not survive Nick Lodolo's injury scare

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo took a comebacker off his left wrist during the top of the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The ball came off the bat of Brewers' star Jackson Chourio at over 107 mph, and Lodolo, in obvious pain, immediately dropped his glove and clutched at his left hand.

The Reds left-hander told reporters afterwards that his entire hand felt numb. Nevertheless, he remained in the game long enough to get all three outs in the inning and squelch the Brewers' scoring threat. He was removed before the start of the fifth inning with what's being deemed a left wrist contusion.

X-rays on Lodolo's wrist came back negative, and Reds manager Terry Francona remains upbeat about the idea that the lefty can make his next start in Milwaukee on Monday. You'll have to excuse Reds fans if they're a bit more pessimistic. Lodolo has a long history of injuries, so one has to assume that Cincinnati's leadership has a Plan B in place. (Just in case.)

If Nick Lodolo lands on the IL, the Reds could activate Hunter Greene early

That alternative could include activating Hunter Greene a little sooner than expected. The Reds' star appeared in a rehab outing on Tuesday night with the Louisville Bats. He went four innings and put up zeroes on the scoreboard. In total, Greene threw 64 pitches, allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three batters. After the game, Greene declared himself ready to go.

"I felt great," Greene said. "I felt strong. I felt really good with all of my pitches. I felt consistent. I felt like I was constantly in attack mode, which is good. And I felt like I was ready to go and compete today."

Greene later said that he felt like he could pitch in the majors right now, but he couched those comments by also saying that he prefers to perform his due diligence and make sure that everything is in order before returning to the big-league roster.

The Reds are planning to send Greene on one more rehab outing this weekend before likely activating him sometime next week. However, if Lodolo has to be sidelined, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Reds toss those plans out the window and send Greene to the mound next Monday in Milwaukee.

The Reds are likely to provide an update on Lodolo's status sometime later this week, but having Greene eligible to take his spot in the rotation is certainly a luxury that Cincinnati has if they need it.

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